In this club, I collaborate with other student engineers to build a single-seat, all-terrain vehicle. Each year, we compete against schools across the nation and around the globe in a series of events. These events are both static and dynamic and are aimed to test ergonomics, reliability, economic production, agility, and speed.
Maryland’s Baja team has four sub-teams. These sub-teams are powertrain, controls, chassis, and suspension. Since Fall 2020, I have been a member of the suspension sub-team. Our challenge is to design each suspension component to be capable of withstanding worst-case scenario loads, without adding excess mass.
As a member of this sub-team, I have been exposed to real-world engineering principles. As we design and manufacture almost every component in-house, we are exposed to tolerancing and DFM applications that we could never learn in a classroom environment. In addition, we must use our knowledge of mechanics to calculate worst-case loads. We also must select appropriate materials for each component, after analyzing material properties, weight, and cost to optimize performance.
solidworks
McMaster-carr
solidworks
As a club, we use SolidWorks for every individual component, subassembly, and master assembly. We also use SolidWorks for FEA and to create engineering drawings.
grabcad
McMaster-carr
solidworks
In order to collaborate on projects using large CAD files, we use GRABCAD to store files. We also use GRABCAD's library for inspiration from other designers.
McMaster-carr
McMaster-carr
McMaster-carr
One of the most important tools we use is McMaster Carr. This site saves hours, as it allows us to download existing CAD of all of our fasteners. This way we can design our car down to every last nut and bolt!